Miner&#39;s-inch weir.



W. F. ENGLEBRIGHT.

MINERS INCH WEIR.

, m2. 1,042,097; Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

' stream across which experiments.

different pressures,

UNITED srrnrus PATENT OFFICE.

MINERS-INCH WEIR;

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Oct. 2.2,iffli2 i' Application filed February 8, 1912. SerialNo. 676,422.

To all whom it may condom:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Enemi- BRIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Nevada City, in the county of Nevada and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Miners-InchWeirs, of which the following 1 is a specification.

This invention relates to water measuring apparatus and particularly toan improved miners inch weir. I

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved meanswhereby the volume of a flowing stream may be accurately measured at alltimes.

It is a special object of the invention to devise an improved plate,board, or dam having a discharge opening of such configuration that thevolume of water flowing through will increase substantially in directproportion to the increase pf head in. the the measuring device may beerected practically combining the miners inch and weir methodsofmeasuring water.

Heretofore running streams of water, the volume of, which it is desiredto measure, have been caused to flow through openings in a dam or boardunder a given pressure whereby the volume of wateris measured by thenumber of square inches in the opening; this system being known as theminers inch measurement. The volume of water flowing through arectangular opening is calculated by the well known formula in whichV=number of cubic feet per second; Hzdepth of water in feet above centerof opening; Azarea in square feet of opening; C a variable coefficientdetermined by 1 If the opening is in a thin vertical partition, givingfull contraction of the stream with different sized openings and thiscoefficient varies as 1 shown by experiment from .56 to .70. It the andthe ed es of the opening are rounded or beveled this coeflicientmayunder different conditions vary from .56 to .95 changing with length andheight of the opening, pressure of water and shapeof the edges of theopening. The volume of water flowing through a rectangular opening ispressure increases.

increased as. the But the proportionate 1 increase of flow decreases asthe depth in,- creases. Another well-known systeiii of measuring runningcomprises a simple dam or board adjusted across a stream so that under agiven head of water in the stream a given volume of water is theweirwhich, V

Water will discharge over the weir of given length. The volume of waterflowing over a weir is calculated by the well known formula V=CLJH inwhich Vznumber of cubic feet per second; L 'length of the weir in feet;H depth of water in feet above the d'ge of the'weir taken to ahorizontal level of still watervup stream; C a variable coefficientdetermined by experiment, Ordinarily the coeflicient C is taken at3.333, but it must be corrected and allowance made to suit velocity ofapproach of the stream, for dis tance of edge of weir above the bottomof the channel and forcont-raction of the stream at ends of the weir. Inshort weirs the effect of this contraction of the stream is importantand may bgcdinpensated for by making the ends of the'weir divergentupward. If the weir plate has material thickness the effect of endcontraction of the stream may be partially compensatedfor by rounding orbeveling the edges of the ends of the weir, The proportionate volume ofwater flowing over a weir is increased as the depth increases.

Users of water in certain regions are required to provide means formeasuring the water and are often required to figure the proportions ofweirs or miners inch devices in order to determine the volume of waterwhich will run past the apparatus under given conditions, and themathematics ini volved 1n thesecalculations are often unknown to theoperators and are difiicult to obtain by them.

It is one of the objects of this invention to devise and provide animproved water measuring apparatus which is of such simple con- 1struction that with the knowledge of one factor, for instance acoefficient, and having a given head of water, the coefficientmultiplied by a given head of water will instantly give the volume ofwater discharged through the measuring device. 7

y it is evident with these two, systems of measuring water, in each ofwhich condi tionsand shapes of openings may be varied,

where in one the proportionate volume of water decreases and in theother it is in-' I have experimented with and devised a' form ofmeasuring boardordam 2 in which there is formed a peculiarlyshaped'orifice, which is here indicatedsubstantially in the form of aninverted letter T; the lower portion 3 of the orifice being arectangular opening having a length greater than its height and of suchdimensions as may be necessary to permit any desired quantity of waterto pass through it, said orifice, having in the form showndn thedrawings, upper and lower parallel and equal walls and parallel andequal vertical ends, forminga horizontal mouth resembling a miners inchmeasure for the discharge of water from the stream, fiume, sluice, orother supply source, indicated at A, from which it is desired to derivea certain volume of water or other fluid. Suitably disposed withrelation to the horizontal opening 3 in the dam 2 is another opening, as4, which may connector intersect with the portion 3, and which partakesof the nature of a contracted weir; the openings 3 and 4 being designedto work in harmony and practically combining two difl'crent methods ofmeasuring water, some of the lines of the openings 3 and 4 beingslightly curved or reverse curved to suit different conditions.

It ismanifest that the hombincd area of the opening or openingsrepresented at 34 may, be varied in different-plates or dams 2 toaccommodate the. discharge of large or small quantities water fromvdif'-' 'ferent or certain streams, and'the gi t Of the invention residesin so idesigning the opening or openings through, which the water issuesfrom the dam2 that-for ever variation in the level ioifthe from the damin direct or fall of the head in the main conduit.

Hav' ascertained the desired configuration o the discharge openingin thedam 2, and having determined a coetficientof discharge an e H v throughthe peculiar discharge openingfin the drum 2,

proporti n .to' the'rise dam 2, the product of the coefficient and headgivinghim the volume of water flow- A water in i'thel canal or fiumethere be a' .decreasedor an increased volume of water discharged r 8given head ct water.

then as the water head rises or;

falls this coefficient when multiplied bvthe "heachis designed to give aproduct indicating the cubic feet or'other'desired unit of measure in acertain period of time. For instance, if there be a discharge opening,indicated at 3-4, in the dam 2 of certain configuration and having agiven coetficient' of flow at a given head, thenarise in the V hea'd'ofwater in the main supply conduit A I should give a direct proportionateincrease in volume forthe increase in head, and conversely for adecrease. of head of the water thereshoul'dhea proportionate decrease ofvolume, discharged through the dam- 2.

Hence it will be seen that'I can provide dams '2 having a certaindischarge opening or openings to be employed under givencondit ions,andby marking on the dam 2 a factor or coefiicient' for this particularstyle of dam then the operator purchasing and using'the same merelyascertains the head of water in the supply canal and multiplesthis bythe-coeiiicient of which he is in-' formed or which he findsm'arlred onthe ing throughjthe dam. Manifestly, as stated, the configuration of thedischarge opening in the dam 2 will be determined as expediencyrequires, fand while itis shown. in the present lnstance as having aninverted substantially T-sh'aped form, the vertical part of it has sligtly curved sides, as shown, forming the'openin area 4;.

The. coefficient ;o each particular dam, depending upon the area andconfiguration of the opening, mayjbamarked on the face of the dam, as"indicated at C, or may be provided inany other method sutficient toinform theope'rato r'o f the value of the factor.; With this informationby simply measuring the head of water in the supply canal,

as A, he can readily ascertain the volume discharged.

If desired one face of the dam 2 may be provided with projectinggraduations 5 representing the volume of water flowing through the damat any head. Another meansforind i'cating the head of Water and volumeis indicated as comprising a well or chamber 6 communicating with thewater in the canal A through a suitableduct or aper-' 'ture 7 whichallows the water to rise in the well 6 so thatll the surface level ofthe water can be assert ted by ah'ook gage 8 attached to a slide}?'nikjivalole over a scale beam 10,

having graduations at one part represent 'ing aunit of height of waterin the canal and other graduations, as 12, representing the volume of,water flowingthrough the 12a dam 2 at a given'head in the canal per unittimerylhe chamber 6 containing the hook gags-.8- may becrected adjacentto the canal Aorl atsome distant point, as in-a building or oifice,solong as the chamber 6 is in comnoeacev munication with the canal A sothat water may rise in the chamber 6 to the same level as that in thecanaLA.

lVhile the indicator 9-10 aifords a means of indicating the volume andhead, it is desirable to provide an automatic recording apparatus,eluding a well or chamber 15 connected'to the canal or flume A by a pipeor conductor 16 which extends into the flame and permits the water torise in thechamber. 6 to the level of the water in the Hume. Disposed inthe chamber 15 is a float or other suitable device 17 connected by a rod18 to a lever 19 fulcrumed at 20; the lever actuating a marking deviceor pencil 21 which may restupon diesurface of a dial-or recording sheetgniovable by a clock structure or other apparatus indicated at 23.

The advantage of the self-recording device, consisting of the float 17and its associated elements, is that by this means a constant andreliable record is made of the volume of water being discharged throughthe dam 2. For each variation of level of water in the main supply canalor flume A there is a corresponding variation in the chamber 15; thisvariation affecting the vertical position or the float 17. This motionistransmitted from the float 17 by the link 18 and lever 19 to-andrecorded by the pencil 21.

The dam 2 may be made of any suitable material and be mounted to form awater-tight joint at any suitable point in the main supply reservoir orcanal desired.

It may be desirable to use a gage plate having projecting graduations,as 25, which may be placed at a suitable point in the main supply, thisgage being graduated to indiehtaine for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Bopies c! this patent may be and. I have shown this as in-' cate volumeof water passing through the dam at any head.

Having thus described I claim and desire to secure by Letters eat is' 1.In a water measuring apparatus, a dam designed to discharge a volume ofwater proportionately increasing or proportionately decreasing with arise or fall respectively of head on the supply side of the dam, saiddam having an upper vertical and a lower horizontal orifice, saidvertical orifice having curved walls which converge toward my invention,what Patand connect with the horizontal orifice and said horizontalorifice having a uniform vertical height and having a horizontal lengthin excess. of the vertical height.

2. In a water measuring apparatus, a dam designed to discharge a volumeof water proportionately increasing or proportionately decreasing with arise or fall respectively of head on the supply side of the dam, saiddam havin two orificesone of which is vertical and't e otherhorizontal,the horizontal orifice having parallel top and bottom walls, and thevertical orifice having walls curved in the direction of the greatestlength of the orifice and with one wall curved in. one direction and theother curved in the opposite direction, whereby the maximum width of thevertical orifice is at a point. intermediate of the ends of the orifice.

In testimony'whereof I myvhand in thepresence ot-two subscribingwitnesses.

WILLIAM F. ENGLEBRIGHT.

Witnesses CHARLES Eonmmn, C. Coon.

have hereunto set

